Jury finds Ward guilty of manslaughter in death of wife

ORLANDO, Fla. (WOFL FOX 35) - A jury has found the former Orlando-area millionaire Bob Ward, accused of killing his wife in 2009, guilty of manslaughter with a firearm.

Ward was facing a second-degree murder charge in the death of his wife, Diane, but jurors opted for the lesser offense of manslaughter.

Ward had already been convicted in 2011 and sentenced to prison, but that verdict was overturned and Ward was released on bond.

Investigators said Ward fatally shot his wife in their Isleworth mansion after getting into argument. The couple was in the midst of filing for bankruptcy and getting sued by several creditors. In addition, many of their possessions had been repossessed, detectives said.

Ward's attorneys contended that their client was acting in self-defense when his wife came after him with his gun.